http://www.nctaf.org/resources/demonstration_projects/BostonForum-video.htm
http://www.nctaf.org/resources/demonstration_projects/NMForum-video.html
RSA Number 2 – NCTAF: National commission on teaching and America’s future
The readings in Module Three are all about results. In order for professional learning communities to function and be worthwhile, the group must place results as the number one priority. In order to create a results oriented PLC, a few simple steps must take place after the establishment of the PLC and the agreement of mutual ownership. According to DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many (2010), effective PLCs start with the creation of SMART goals. This is a critical first step when attempting to shift the team’s focus to results. The acronym SMART stands for strategic, measurable, attainable, results oriented, and time bound. DuFour et al. (2010) continue by adding that a PLC’s SMART goals should be linked to the building’s goals as well as the district’s to achieve maximum effectiveness. The SMART goal gives the PLC a focused, specific target to reach, and the segmentation allows the learning community to focus and provides an easier starting point, so to speak. Once goals are established, it’s up to the individuals of the learning community to hold each other accountable. DuFour et al. (2010) close the chapter on goals with “There is nothing more important in determining the effectiveness of a team than each member’s understanding of and commitment to the achievement of the goals to which the group holds itself mutually accountable.”
Now comes the difficult part, coming back from the classroom to the team with evidence and determining whether or not goals have been met and desired results have been achieved. This is where team collaboration really takes full stride. DuFour et al. (2010) note in the reading that the best way to provide powerful feedback to teachers and to turn data into information that can improve teaching and learning is through team-developed and team-analyzed common formative assessments. This concept is clearly demonstrated through this week’s resource, two video clips from the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF.org). The videos showcase two different schools currently immersed in the PLC culture. The videos provide authentic narrative of actual teachers and administrators involved in the PLC framework discussing the concept of effective PLC practice, data collection, and collaborative analysis. The videos highlight the importance of focusing the direction of PLCs on results rather than intentions.
The ideas presented by the videos (NCTAF.org, 2009) directly reinforce the claims found in this week’s required readings. Chapters 6, 7, and 10 in Learning by Doing suggest that in order for a PLC to produce, schools must focus the attention of the learning community on results as they relate to the authentic learning of students. The videos shared through this week’s blog post offer clarification on the concept of data versus information, and how PLCs can gather and use relevant information to improve results. One scene in particular connects directly to the reading. A group of teachers is sitting around in a circle discussing assessment data, and the tone of the meeting is positive and productive. DuFour, Dufour, Eaker, & Many (2010) caution in the text that school and district leaders must create and support a culture that uses evidence of student learning as an essential element of continuous improvement rather than a punitive tool. This cultural existence is clearly evident in the video clips. The shift in thinking to results is critical; teachers analyze statistical assessment data not to rank, rate, assess, or compare teachers, but to gain insight on how to revise instructional practice and increase student learning.
References
DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Many, T. (2010). Learning by doing: A handbook for professional learning communities at work (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
http://www.nctaf.org/resources/demonstration_projects/NMForum-video.html
RSA Number 2 – NCTAF: National commission on teaching and America’s future
The readings in Module Three are all about results. In order for professional learning communities to function and be worthwhile, the group must place results as the number one priority. In order to create a results oriented PLC, a few simple steps must take place after the establishment of the PLC and the agreement of mutual ownership. According to DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many (2010), effective PLCs start with the creation of SMART goals. This is a critical first step when attempting to shift the team’s focus to results. The acronym SMART stands for strategic, measurable, attainable, results oriented, and time bound. DuFour et al. (2010) continue by adding that a PLC’s SMART goals should be linked to the building’s goals as well as the district’s to achieve maximum effectiveness. The SMART goal gives the PLC a focused, specific target to reach, and the segmentation allows the learning community to focus and provides an easier starting point, so to speak. Once goals are established, it’s up to the individuals of the learning community to hold each other accountable. DuFour et al. (2010) close the chapter on goals with “There is nothing more important in determining the effectiveness of a team than each member’s understanding of and commitment to the achievement of the goals to which the group holds itself mutually accountable.”
Now comes the difficult part, coming back from the classroom to the team with evidence and determining whether or not goals have been met and desired results have been achieved. This is where team collaboration really takes full stride. DuFour et al. (2010) note in the reading that the best way to provide powerful feedback to teachers and to turn data into information that can improve teaching and learning is through team-developed and team-analyzed common formative assessments. This concept is clearly demonstrated through this week’s resource, two video clips from the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF.org). The videos showcase two different schools currently immersed in the PLC culture. The videos provide authentic narrative of actual teachers and administrators involved in the PLC framework discussing the concept of effective PLC practice, data collection, and collaborative analysis. The videos highlight the importance of focusing the direction of PLCs on results rather than intentions.
The ideas presented by the videos (NCTAF.org, 2009) directly reinforce the claims found in this week’s required readings. Chapters 6, 7, and 10 in Learning by Doing suggest that in order for a PLC to produce, schools must focus the attention of the learning community on results as they relate to the authentic learning of students. The videos shared through this week’s blog post offer clarification on the concept of data versus information, and how PLCs can gather and use relevant information to improve results. One scene in particular connects directly to the reading. A group of teachers is sitting around in a circle discussing assessment data, and the tone of the meeting is positive and productive. DuFour, Dufour, Eaker, & Many (2010) caution in the text that school and district leaders must create and support a culture that uses evidence of student learning as an essential element of continuous improvement rather than a punitive tool. This cultural existence is clearly evident in the video clips. The shift in thinking to results is critical; teachers analyze statistical assessment data not to rank, rate, assess, or compare teachers, but to gain insight on how to revise instructional practice and increase student learning.
References
DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Many, T. (2010). Learning by doing: A handbook for professional learning communities at work (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
Whitmyre, T, Inc. (2009). National commission on teaching and America’s future. Retrieved from http://www.nctaf.org/index.html
